Call for Papers: 21st Annual Hispanic and Lusophone Studies Symposium
The 21st Annual Hispanic and Lusophone Studies Symposium
Breaking the Wall: Identity and Border Crossing in the Luso-Hispanic World
March 30-31, Columbus, OH
Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Debra Ann Castillo (Cornell University)
Dr. César Braga-Pinto (Northwestern University)
Walls are not merely a physical barrier or a pile of bricks and barbed wire. As political theorist Wendy Brown argues, they have come to materialize collective desires of security and, above all, national unity. The revival of wall-building in the era of global capitalism is, therefore, the result of a process by which walls are invested with a symbolic protective aura. They are seen as preserving individual identities and nation-states at a time in which both are perceived as threatened or at risk of fragmentation. Drawing on this theoretical perspective, we invite scholars from different disciplines and periods of the Luso-Hispanic World to reflect on issues that are linked to identity and wall/border building or questioning. Some of these topics include, but are not limited to:
- National identity and nationalism
- Race, ethnicity and alterity
- Immigration and citizenship
- Queer perspectives and the social construction of gender and sexuality
- Liminal and border crossing identities
- Individual identity and subjectivity
- Identity expressed through literature and cinema
- 'Glocality': globalization and locality in the Luso-Hispanic World
- The inner walls: local identities in the urban and national context
- Political and ideological borders
We are seeking presentations of original research from graduate students and scholars on the proposed topic. Preference will be given to presentations that fit this theme, though other topics in the areas of literature and culture will also be welcome.
Submission of proposals:
Abstracts will be accepted in Spanish, English and Portuguese, should be submitted as .PDF or .doc files, and should be limited to 250 words. Please include a paper or panel title and your contact information (name, specialization, email and affiliation) and send to symposium_sppo@osu.edu with the subject "Literatures and Cultures". Talks will be allotted 20 minutes for presentation and about 10 minutes for discussion and may be given in any of the aforementioned languages.
Extended submission deadline: February 15th, 2018
If you have any questions, you can contact us at symposium_sppo@osu.edu.
